Michigan: AG Nessel Recognizes Efforts of Special Unit on National Human Trafficking Awareness Day
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Contact: Ryan Jarvi 517-599-2746Agency: Attorney General

January 11, 2021

LANSING – In observance of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is recognizing the efforts of the state's Human Trafficking Unit for its continuing fight to eradicate this terrible crime from the Great Lakes State.

The Attorney General's Human Trafficking Unit was formed in 2011 and has 24 convictions under its belt. Since 2019 when Attorney General Nessel took office, prosecutors have charged five individuals with human trafficking crimes. Three have been charged by state officials, while two others were charged in coordination with county prosecutors.

Those charged by the Attorney General's office include:
  • Dallas Jordan-King is charged with multiple felonies stemming from his alleged operation of a sex trafficking enterprise throughout Oakland County. In October 2020, he was bound over to Oakland County Circuit Court, where his next court date is scheduled for Feb. 18, 2021.
  • Kollier Radney faces multiple charges, including human trafficking of a minor and child pornography after police found him in a Warren hotel room with a 17-year-old. He is awaiting trial in Macomb County Circuit Court.  
  • Christopher Madkin was charged with multiple felonies including human trafficking and prostitution resulting from an undercover operation at a Warren Motel. Madkin is currently awaiting trial in Macomb County Circuit Court.

The unit has also partnered with the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor's Office on two cases to charge two individuals with multiple felonies, including minor sex trafficking. Those cases are currently pending in Kalamazoo County. Part of the Unit's mission is to provide officials with training on identifying and addressing human trafficking victims and crimes.  Since 2019, the Unit has  provided 23 presentations to provide human trafficking training to around 2,500 people in the legal, medical, law enforcement, transportation and victim services professions, as well as the general public.

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"Every day new victims fall into this form of modern-day slavery – whether through prostitution, illegal labor or some other means – and my office is just a small piece of the opposition to this criminal underworld," Nessel said. "The Michigan Human Trafficking Unit has provided training to hundreds of professionals and law enforcement personnel so that they can better identify and manage this continuing threat, and we remain vigorously engaged in prosecution efforts to hold these offenders accountable. This pervasive crime requires a concerted effort to manage, and I am committed to doing all that we can to protect our residents from becoming another human trafficking statistic."

According to the most recent report from the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, in 2019 the National Human Trafficking Hotline received more than 300 reports of incidents of human trafficking in Michigan alone. Among those reports, the top three venues for labor trafficking were domestic work, traveling sales crews, and restaurants/food service. The top three venues for sex trafficking included illicit massage/spa businesses, residence-based commercial sex, and hotel/motel-based commercial sex.

In addition to the Human Trafficking Unit, the Michigan Department of Attorney General is the home of the 14-seat Michigan Human Trafficking Commission,  created by the Legislature in 2015. Its members are appointed by the Governor to represent various groups and public officials.

Part of the Commission's mission is to collect and analyze information regarding human trafficking in the state, as well as identify and coordinate opportunities to assist in human trafficking enforcement efforts, among other tasks.

The Commission also reviews existing state laws and administrative rules related to human trafficking, and in 2019 made a recommendation of roughly 30 human trafficking bills aimed at expanding training requirements for certain professionals, strengthening tools to hold traffickers accountable, expanding protections for victims of trafficking, and revising the criminal justice system's approach to commercial sexual activity, otherwise known as prostitution.   The bills were introduced in the Michigan Legislature in early 2020 shortly before COVID-19 struck Michigan, but did not receive final passage before the Legislature adjourned in December.

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"My office remains committed to working with members of the Legislature, including new members of the House of Representatives, and I am confident that these bills will not only be reintroduced this session but also receive the attention they deserve," Nessel said. "We are  ready and willing to do anything possible to enact this legislation into law as we seek to further protect our residents from this terrible crime."

Anyone who may have identified a victim of human trafficking, or who is a victim themselves, should contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 888-3737-888. All calls made to the national, toll-free hotline are confidential. Calls can be made from anywhere in the country, 24-hours a day, seven-days a week, every day of the year. Some indicators of possible trafficking include:
  • Signs of physical abuse
  • Signs of psychological abuse
  • Is the person submissive or fearful?
  • Is the person being controlled?
  • Is the person being deprived of food, water, sleep, medical care or other life necessities?
  • Is the person allowed to be in public alone?
  • Can the person freely contact friends or family?
  • Is the person a minor engaged in commercial sex?
  • Does a minor appear to be in a relationship with a much older person?
  • Does the person fear his or her employer?
  • Can the person leave their job situation if they want?
  • Has someone threatened the person's family?

For more information on the Attorney General's efforts to combat human trafficking and the Michigan Human Trafficking Commission, visit the department's website.

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